Scrapes
by Estronomy
Summary: A minor accident roughs Calem up. Lucky for him, someone helps out.


The weather in Lumiose City was never more than a mere shower, or so the local chatter went…what a load of rubbish. The more Calem biked along the wide roadways, avoiding puddles, pedestrians, and trees, the ever more flimsy he felt in the wind. The locals claimed it was nothing more than a sprinkling, but the young Trainer was having doubts about that. At any second, he felt as though a gust of wind would sweep him so hard off the road that it would blow him right into the heart of the Sinnoh region.

The Professor had better give him some condolence for braving such awful weather. The paint on his bike would be dinged up, his clothes would be sopping, and his hair would look like it went through a weedwhacker….and then back again. Still, at nothing would he stop to show the Professor his newest Pokedex entry. He thought it would be a real kicker, and then maybe he could…

Calem couldn't finish that thought, for he froze, and not because of the cold. Straight in his trajectory was a thick-trunked tree. He must have gotten so caught up in his thoughts, he had forgotten what he was doing, and where he was going! To his dismay, a cab driving - excruciatingly slow, the bastard, it's not rocket science to drive in the rain - flanked his left. He spun his head around to the right, hoping to find an escape route, but his hair whipped in front of his face and obscured his view. Those damn bangs needed a trim.

The boy took a sharp breath, giving himself a fraction of a second to prepare before he went careening into the tree. It was gonna hurt, and all that jazz, and it was gonna suck to have to wait for someone to ask him if he needed help, because he'd be crying like a baby… WHAM! - Well, it didn't sound _quite_ like that…more like, CRSHHHHHOWOWOWCRUMBLE. Calem's senses were blurred by pain rather quickly, and goddamnit, he wished he'd have just taken a cab right about then. He opened his eyes long enough to inspect the damage on his bike…no dice. It was bent forward and backward and every which way that existed. He didn't even want to _look_ down at his own body, but, unbeknownst to him, he blacked out right then and there. Despite the searing amount of pain the boy's body was in, one could say he almost looked like he was peacefully sleeping.

When Calem opened his eyes again, he thought for a second he was maybe in Vaniville Town, in his bed on a Saturday morning. He could smell a strong coffee, and the air had a little warmth to it… His blurry view of the ceiling was even close to the colour of his bedroom's. Calem's bedroom semblance was so peaceful, he felt as though he could drift off again…

_ "Ah, it seems I have been defeated…the mighty Champion has fallen to her knees! You and your Pokémon are both so wonderfully strong!" The grandiose woman cried out. Breathing hard, Calem erected himself with a new stance, one of pride and triumph. At last, he was the greatest Trainer in all of Kalos…_

"Hey, it's time to wake up!" The cold sting of the awakening pierced Calem's veins. He wasn't the Champion after all…

"Mother, please, I don't have school today…just let me sleep some more…" was Calem's somewhat ruffled response.

"M…Mother…? Oh no! I am not your mother! Have you lost your mind? Your memory? If that's the case, I could try out my new invention on you, I've been dying to test it on a human brain...or perhaps a bucket of rainwater to the face would help…" The voice of the stranger filled the room once more. It took a few seconds for Calem's mind to get going, but once he registered the mild threat, he shot up - and so did his neurones, ablaze with pain.

"Oh owowowouch…!"The boy grimaced. The stranger spoke once more from his left, and this time, he turned his head to see who it was…

The owner of the voice could not have been taller than a bedframe. He was a short, average built boy, who looked to be about Calem's age. His voice seemed unusually deep, for his appearance. His blue eyes looked as though they could melt diamonds with their gleam, hidden by crystal clear glasses. Soft blond locks adorned his head and framed his face - though, one stuck out, waving about his head like an antenna. Calem felt something stir within his chest…like it was tightening. Maybe, this was it. This was the beginning of the end. He had woken up in an unfamiliar place, previously hurt and passed out, and now, this strange guy was going to murder him-

"Excuse me, but are you alright?" The blond boy spoke once more, his voice laden with mild distress. "Do you need me to call someone for you? A doctor, perhaps? I've tried all I can, I laid you down and put you in fresh clothes, and I kept checking if you were awake yet…" He twiddled his thumbs.

"Wha…WHAT?! You changed my clothes? But that's so embarrassing, waaaaaaugh! I don't even know you!" Calem cried in a rather undignified way. Despite his embarrassment, the boy spoke the truth. Calem's normal jeans and jacket had been replaced with loose pyjamas.

"I apologise…I just thought it would be better if I did that…wouldn't want you to get sick, after all." The stranger cleared his throat. "My name is Clemont, by the way-"

"Cut the crap. I want to know what you want with me, and why I'm here." Calem demanded, blunt demeanour coming to show. Despite the fact that he had wailed like a baby Pokémon just a few moments prior, his voice carried a hint of hostility. The other boy gripped at the straps on his backpack, speaking with a frazzled tone.

"I noticed you had been taking a nap beneath that tree…or so it seemed. It was pretty awful out there, and I had been going to pick up some supplies from the store, when I saw you conked out there…you and your bike were in pretty bad shape. So I dragged you all the way here…in the rain, and stuff. Whew, my arms are still sore…" The boy sighed, then continued. "You're in Prism Tower now, the top floor, to be precise. I usually hang out here during the day, waiting for challengers…"

"Challengers?" Calem asked, puzzled.

"Yes, that's right!" Clemont stood up straighter as he spoke now. "You see, I'm the Gym Leader of Lumiose City. I specialise in battle with Electric-type Pokemon, and as you can see, thanks to science, I… "

Whatever bout of information the boy was murmuring went right over Calem's head. Something about Clemont made him feel strange…he felt as though he shouldn't like it, but at the same time, it made him feel lightheaded, and lighthearted. He watched Clemont's facial expressions as he went on about…Pokemon stats…? Something like that. The way he pushed his glasses up when they started to slip down his nose, and the way they caught the light in the room sent tiny sparks through Calem's body. Still, he had just met the boy, and he was wary.

Calem was exhausted. The blood going to new places on his body sapped the last of his strength, and he slumped back down into the bed. Clemont reacted instantly.

"Oh no! Don't roll over on that, please, I haven't treated that scrape yet…" the Gym Leader spoke quickly, like a concerned mother. "Here, let's elevate it first… "

The contact of Clemont's slightly-clammy hand against Calem's shin made the Trainer breathe just a little quicker.

"Now, let me try this… Super Sprayer, go!"Clemont spoke, to whom it seemed was no-one at all. A whirring noise, however, indicated that the command had been registered. A small apparatus extended from the inventor's backpack, resembling the bottle of a Pokemon healing medicine.

"A couple sprays here should do, and you'll be all better soon…" Clemont smiled wide, and, without thinking, Calem smiled back. Though it was storming outside, the two boys' smiles brought a little sunshine to the day.


End file.
